Call for entries VIDA 16.0

VIDA is the first international contest dedicated to art and artificial life. The main aim of the contest is to recognise artists who are interested in the current discourse on life through the latest technologies and the most recent scientific advances. Conceived in 1999, VIDA, which offers a total of 82,000 Euros in prizes, is currently one of the most prestigious international contests in the field of media art.

Introducing VIDA 16.0

After celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of VIDA, we are pleased to announce VIDA 16.0, a new invitation to artists and creators of any nationality to submit works that offer original visions of the concept of artificial life. Considering the vital role that life sciences and information technologies play in contemporary culture, the VIDA prize invites us to examine their influence from the perspective of art.

To commemorate its long trajectory and its recognition as a key player in the sector, VIDA 16.0 has added as a new feature the VIDA Pioneers Prize. The aim of this prize is to recognise the work of artists who have laid the foundations for a new way of understanding creation through an alliance among art, science and technology.

After fifteen years, VIDA continues to support research and artistic production on artificial life. The awarded projects in each new edition of VIDA express the complexity of life and its hybrid character in the contemporary world. The VIDA 16.0 jury will take into consideration the proposals that analyse these key points and, more importantly, will select the projects that formulate new challenges to current ways of understanding life.

PRIZES

> VIDA Pioneers Prize

The Pioneers Prize continues the direction begun in 2009, during the tenth anniversary of the prize. On that occasion, the American artist Laurie Anderson was awarded by VIDA for her pioneering work and her outstanding role in the field of experimental art and new media. During the celebration of VIDA’s 15th anniversary, the decision was taken to award this prize annually, so that artists with a solid artistic career in this area may be given recognition for their careers and their decisive contributions to the field. The prize is worth €12,000.

> Finished Project Prize

The submissions for the VIDA 16.0 Finished Project Prizes are announced with the aim of taking the pulse of the latest developments in the area of art and artificial life. This prize goes to artistic works that were produced recently (dated after 2012), and stand out for the high-quality technical resolution of their concept and development. It is also essential that these works fit the VIDA framework of discourse and formulate unusual reflections on life, the complexity of living systems and the methods adopted to interpret this concept in the current context. The projects given awards in this section will be distinguished by their communicative dimension and their ability to start up a dialogue with the public and their environment.

Prizes and amounts:

First prize: €12,000.

Second prize: €10,000.

People’s Choice Award: €6,000.

Honourable mentions: no cash prize.

The People’s Choice Award will be chosen by the public from among the eight Honourable Mentions. In the week following the publication of the prize-winning projects on the VIDA web site (vida.fundaciontelefonica.com) (November 2014), members of the public will be able to cast their vote for the project of their choice. Voting will take place on the VIDA Facebook page. (www.facebook.com/VidaArtAwards).

> Incentives for Production Prizes

The VIDA 16.0 Incentives for Production Prizes are intended to finance artistic proposals for artificial life that have not yet been carried out. These prizes are exclusively for creators whose nationality or permanent place of residence is Spain, Portugal or Latin America.

The proposals submitted to Incentives for Production will be evaluated by the VIDA 16.0 jury based on the idea presented and the way in which this idea investigates the context of the contest. The VIDA 16.0 jury will evaluate the ability of the creator(s) to carry out the proposed project within the given time frame, and the management of the estimated resources needed for implementation and of the submitted budget. All these aspects must be detailed clearly and concisely on the project submission form.

> Prizes and amounts:

Incentives for Production Prizes: five prizes, each for a total of €8,000.

Telefónica R+D Incentive Prize: one of the submissions awarded a prize will also receive the Telefónica R+D Incentive Prize, which consists of spending one month in residence at the Telefónica R+D headquarters in Barcelona in 2015.

VIDA 16.0 enjoys the cooperation of Telefónica Research and Development, whose contribution is designed to stimulate artistic innovation in the latest artificial life technologies. The artist will receive the support of experts in research, development and innovation in the latest information technologies. In addition to advice and regular communication over the network, the artist will have the possibility of spending one month at the Telefónica R+D in Barcelona (Spain), with accommodation and travel expenses paid.

REGISTRATION

To register for the Finished Project Prizes and Incentives for Production Prizes, go to the ON-LINE REGISTRATION FORM ABOVE and select the form for the prize for which you wish to enter. The form may be completed in Spanish or English. Incomplete forms will not be evaluated by the jury.

DATES

Entry dates for projects: from 21 May to 31 July 2014.

The project submission deadline is 31 July 2014, at midnight (Spanish mainland time zone). New deadline: August 7th Closed

The results of the contest will be published in November 2014 on this website.

JURY

The projects submitted will be examined by a jury of international experts made up of Mónica Bello, Laura Fernández Orgaz, Honor Harger, Jose-Carlos Mariátegui, Marina McDougall and Nell Tenhaaf.

INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS

Artists interested in taking part in the contest can see the projects awarded prizes in previous years on the VIDA website.